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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22611382">Swearing and Nonverbal Communication</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coolcat101s/pseuds/Coolcat101s'>Coolcat101s</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Linguistic au oneshots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Invader Zim</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alien Culture, Alien Language, Ambiguous Relationship, Gen, Headcanon, Language headcanon, Linguistic au, Linguistics, M/M, Zim is too emotionally stunted to understand his feelings at this point lol, preslash if anything, world building</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:40:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>667</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22611382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coolcat101s/pseuds/Coolcat101s</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Another work based off of tumblr user @xryn-art ‘s iz linguistics au</p><p>Zim teaches Dib about how Irkens kind of swear, and feels some feelings along the way</p><p>Once again this au is great and you should totally check it out! Their art is wonderful!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dib &amp; Zim (Invader Zim), Dib/Zim (Invader Zim), GIR &amp; Zim (Invader Zim)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Linguistic au oneshots [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1674988</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>105</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Swearing and Nonverbal Communication</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been weeks since Dib-creature has started asking him about the Irken language. The boy was  adamant to learn, pestering him at all hours! Don’t humans need to use the sleep every day??<br/>
Regardless. It was annoying. His latest inquiry was even More Annoying.</p><p>“Come on Zim there has to be some kind of alien swear words you can share!”   He has the nerve to be in the mighty home of ZIM and he isn’t even trying to break into the lab! Not even trying to figure out my plans! The fool!</p><p>“Even if there were Irken swears why should I tell you?! Why should I teach you anything outside of what you’re helping ME with?! Huh?!”</p><p>“Well..”</p><p>“HUH?!”</p><p>“Well don’t you want someone else to talk to? You know in your original language.”</p><p>And with those words I can’t help but feel the crushing isolation of my current life. I’m so far from Irk, and the tallest in their  infinite wisdom are... frequently preoccupied. I do want to talk. Even through all of my training, Irkens are social, we are a hive based species, meant to live in groups of at least the hundreds. Being alone was crushing. It was only through years of training that I am able to ignore this instinct. Curse this idiotic smelly human for bringing it up!! </p><p>“Even If that were the case, you aren’t equiped to speak the language.”</p><p>“You do know that there are some Earth languages that utilize clicks right? I’m perfectly capable of mimicking sounds” </p><p>“As if that’s all there is! You’re missing all of the inflection if you just say things! It’s not even possible to ‘swear’ without antenna.” </p><p>“What do you mean?” </p><p>Zim takes a moment to think about how to describe this. He’s been doing a lot of work with GIR who said a sentence the other day! It was a simple sentence, he said morning Zim-master, which while the concept of saying good morning is meaningless and weird to point out for a species that doesn’t sleep, he was proud regardless.<br/>
So what did the amazing Zim mean?</p><p>“As a species we don’t have a specific set of words that are culturally negative outside of the obvious things like ..defectives... we have insults that apply only to other species, but Irkens act as a collective. There are no words that are used to hurt that aren’t based on someone failing to aid the collective.”</p><p>“If you don’t have a specific set of words then how would you curse? You mentioned it was possible..” Dib has that notepad out, patently waiting for the response to his query. Good, I won’t have to repeat myself then. </p><p>“Sort of. There are still ways to express displeasure and it has to do with these,” I point to my antenna “ which in addition to being vastly superior sensory organs, they are used to express tone when speaking, so take the word smelly, if my antenna are back that means I’m saying you smell disgusting which is a grave insult-“</p><p>“Why?”</p><p>My antenna press close to my head, annoyed at the  interruption. </p><p>“ Stink is a part of who you are dib-thing. Irkens identify each other partially through smell. Each smell is unique, and to say that someone’s personal smell is gross is a great insult. Moving on.  Smelly antenna back,”  I demonstrate “is an insult of a high degree and can be incredibly offensive like your Earth swears. Saying it with antenna up,” again I demonstrate “is a neutral statement. You are saying you have a strong odor.. but it’s not bad. Finally antenna forward is a great compliment”</p><p>“What not going to show an example of that one?”  That question makes me feel some emotions thats for sure (especially since Dib-(?!?!) didn’t actually smell bad but I could never show that) but THANK YOU TRAINING I choose to ignore them. </p><p>“Like I would ever give my terrible nemesis a compliment of such a high degree, ugh gross.”</p>
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